Modern oil field operators demand a great quantity of information relating to the parameters and conditions encountered downhole. Among the types of information most sought is permeability, i.e., the ability of a fluid (usually oil, water, gas, etc.) to flow through a geologic formation. The permeability of a reservoir is a function of the interconnectedness of the available pore space, as well as, pore size distribution, flow direction, grain size and sorting, shale content, non-connecting vugs, and fractures. To facilitate characterizing and simulating formation behavior, geologic grids are employed, in which grid cells (blocks) of the geologic grid are assigned values for formation parameters such as porosity, permeability, and/or others. Determining appropriate grid cell sizes and properties is not a trivial task.
It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments to the particular forms shown, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.